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Dance bars to reopen in Maharashtra after SC decision

New Delhi - The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the operation of Maharashtra Police Act that prohibited dance performances at eating places, beer bars and restaurants.

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Noting that the said provision was brought back in the Maharashtra Police Act in 2014 after being held ultra vires in 2013 by the top court, the bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Prafulla C. Pant said that it is "appropriate to stay the provision" that prohibits the dance performances.
However, the court made it clear that the dance performances should not be remotely explicit of any kind of obscenity.

700 dance bars, 75,000 dancers Oct 15, 2015 - The Supreme Court today  lifted the ban on dance bars in Maharashtra by staying a controversial law that prevented dancing in any form at eating houses, restaurants and beer joints in the state. February 2015 - The Supreme Court directed the Maharashtra government to reply to a petition challenging a fresh 2014 law that reintroduced a ban on dance bars. June 2014 - Maharashtra government had passed the law to continue the ban on dance bars even in three and five-star hotels across the state following a rare political consensus on the matter. July 2013 - In a major setback for the Maharashtra state government, the Supreme Court upheld the right of the bar dancers to pursue their profession after obtaining a licences. April 2006 - That decision to ban it  was declared unconstitutional by the Bombay High Court. After which State Govt filed a petition in the Supreme  Court. July 2005 -  The Maharashtra State Assembly adopted the Bombay Police (Amendment) Bill 2005 amending the Bombay Police Act, 1951, banning "holding of performance or dance of any kind" at "eating house, permit rooms or beer bars" across the state, on 22 July 2005 March 2005 - Mumbai Police had banned dances in Maharashtra bars but cleared them for high-end establishments and hotels with three or more than stars.

Also read:
Mumbai nightlife revival plan gets CM's nod, but legal hurdles remain
Apex court scraps ban on Mumbai dance bars
 

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